Smart Task: Key Stage 1

Help Tom to fight the Great Fire

This ICT based lesson draws heavily on the superb new website created as a joint enterprise by the National Archives, National Portrait Gallery, Museum of London and London Fire Brigade Museum. It appears on the Learning Curve section of the National Archives site.  The interactive simulation, with sound, great graphics and brilliant source material, looks at the Great Fire from start to finish through the eyes of two children, Tom and Jane.  It takes you through the action day by day, giving you tasks to do, interspersed with questions concerning 'How do we know?', each of which requires pupils to make a selection. This lesson joins the action on Monday with the Great Fire in full swing.  But how will it be put out?  Pupils help Tom using a range of click and drag activities.  It is recommended that you use this as a whole class activity on the Interactive Whiteboard.  Make sure you have the sound switched on, not just for the clear narrative but also for the sound effects.

Load the excellent London Museums' simulation. Introduce pupils to Tom and Jane, the two characters in the story of the Great Fire, using the introduction from the superb website. Explain that the children are going to be expert fire fighters today. They are going to help Tom put out the fire. Do they think they already know of any ways that would work? Don't say anything out loud, just whisper to your neighbour.